Award recognizes women in manufacturing who demonstrate excellence and leadership

April 16, 2019 09:59 PM Hong Kong Time - DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agriculture equipment and solutions, announces that Jane Song, manager, production for AGCO Power in Changzhou was honored with a 2019 STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead Awards from The Women In Manufacturing, an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute.

This honor identifies the best of the best women at all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C suite.

“We are proud that this is the seventh consecutive year AGCO women have been honored with a STEP Ahead Award. Jane Song, our 2019 honoree, makes a difference every day at AGCO and in her community,” said Lucinda Smith, senior vice president, Global Business Services at AGCO. “Jane’s recognition through the STEP Ahead Program speaks to the importance of TRAIT, AGCO’s diversity and inclusion program.”

Jane is a remarkable woman whose career path is an inspiration to the whole AGCO Power team, as leadership roles are rare among women in this industry in China. She is also committed to ensuring her employees have the training they need to be successful in their roles. Under her management, more than 90 percent of employees have three-station operating matrix skills. Her employees are comfortable contributing ideas to improve workflow, and due to her mentoring, the LEAN Manufacturing 6S results are outstanding at the Changzhou location.

“As a production manager, I need to work closely together with my colleagues for the best output. I have learned a lot from the work and the people and enjoy it all,” said Jane.

Jane is also passionate about giving back to her community. She has lent her organizational and leadership skills in a number of ways to benefit the elderly and intellectually disabled children.

TRAIT, AGCO’s diversity & inclusion program, is built on our core values of Team Spirit, Respect, Accountability, Integrity and Transparency. AGCO Global Women’s Network is an integral portion of TRAIT and is a business advisory group that develops, promotes and advocates leadership of women as growers of profitability, collaboration and a diverse culture across AGCO.

The STEP Ahead Awards, part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.

“Women are the single largest pool of untapped potential talent within the manufacturing industry, and we must continue to do everything we can to promote gender diversity within this field,” said Keira Lombardo, Chair of STEP Ahead and executive vice president of corporate affairs and compliance for Smithfield Foods. “The STEP Ahead Awards program not only recognizes the incredible women in manufacturing who have an impact on the daily lives of people all over the world, it sends an incredibly powerful message to the next generation of female leaders that the manufacturing industry offers innovative and fulfilling careers in which women can thrive.”

“AGCO is very proud of Jane Song`s recognition,” said Lucinda Smith. Recently several AGCO facilities, departments and employees have also been honored for significant achievements and contributions to the industry. Examples of these recognitions are: China Automotive Logistics Innovation Award, by China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing; Bronze, Best Workplace for women, by Association for Women`s Career Development Hungary; Diversity & Inclusion, by World HRD Congress; Best Place to Work in Brazil, by Love Mondays/Glassdoor; and Manufacturing Leadership Award, by National Association of Manufacturers.

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and delivers high-tech solutions for farmers feeding the world through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® smart farming solutions. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of $9.4 billion in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.

About The Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification and development of world-class manufacturing talent. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.